A selection of 12 solo and duet works from Create First! Book 1 featuring printable scores and links to online video demonstrations.
License: Studio license for use by an individual teacher with multiple studentsFormat: PDF download with link to online videosMore info >>

Practising the Piano Part 1 is a foundation course on practice methodology which shows you how to organise your practice sessions for maximum effect, enabling you to learn new pieces quickly and efficiently.
More info >>

Practising the Piano Part 2 provides a comprehensive treatise on the subject of piano technique which uses numerous video demonstrations and exercises accompanied by manuscript to show exactly how to overcome technical difficulties whilst avoiding tension and injury. More info >>

Based on lectures from the Piano Teachers' Course, these video lectures by Lucinda Mackworth-Young provide psychological insight and understanding, and practical tips, to help piano teachers with their pupils.
Format: Online Video Content, downloadable slides and includes free Tuning In eBook!

Dedicated to helping everyone play the music they love and long to play, Lucinda Mackworth-Young introduces her step-by-step system for learning to play by ear and improvise, so that even classically trained piano players can play spontaneously, anywhere, anytime!
Format: Online Video Content and downloadable worksheets

Practising the Piano Part 3 is a comprehensive guide to scales and arpeggios featuring numerous video demonstrations, exercises, practice suggestions and resources to make this essential part of a practice regime effective, interesting and fun. More info >>

This video series based on material from the Piano Teachers' Course shows how to make the early lessons purposeful, musical and enjoyable with real lesson excerpts to bring it all to life.
Format: Online Video Content

Practising the Piano Part 4 focusses on the art of performance and draws upon powerful practise strategies and proven psychological and therapeutic techniques to help you combat anxiety and deliver performances that reflect your full potential. More info >>

In these video lectures based on the Piano Teachers' Course, Ilga Pitkevica shares effective strategies for making quick progress with developing sight reading, teaching scales and building the foundations of speed with beginners.
Format: Online Video Content

Music from the Inside Out gives musicians the tools to transform their whole approach to performing music. It is suitable for classical musicians, students, amateurs and professionals.
Formats: ePub and Amazon Kindle eBook formats.More info >>

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes.
Formats: Printable PDF with optional, free companion iPhone app.More info >>

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes.
Formats: Printable PDF with optional, free companion iPhone app.More info >>

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes.
Formats: Printable PDF with optional, free companion iPhone app.More info >>

A selection of 12 solo and duet works from Create First! Book 1 featuring printable scores and links to online video demonstrations.
License: Personal use license (please see "studio license" option if you wish to use this material with your students)Format: PDF download with link to online videosMore info >>

By renowned pedagogue and psychologist Lucinda Mackworth-Young, Tuning In is for all instrumental and singing teachers and performers, whether they teach individually or in groups.
Formats: Printable PDF and various eBook formats with links to downloadable worksheets for printing.More info >>

Contains unique and enlightening explanations of how to finger in the most natural and musical way, with entirely new fingerings suggested for many scales and arpeggios. Essential reading for all pianists, piano teachers and piano students. More info >>

PTC Online - Complete Bundle

Practising the Piano - eBooks & Study Editions Bundle

Practising the Piano - eBook Series Bundle

Practising the Piano is an interactive, multimedia eBook series which shows you exactly what you need to do to get the most out of your practice time. The series is the culmination of years of experience by Graham Fitch, one of the UK's leading independent piano teachers.

There are surprisingly few books that deal with the art of practising. Given the amount of time an aspiring pianist needs to spend practising, it is very important to know exactly what to do in order to make the best use of this time. Practising the Piano will equip you with specific tools to help you every step of the way and will give you concrete skills to learn pieces, solve problems, memorise, and much more.

The series is comprised of four parts:

PART 1 - THE PRACTICE TOOLS

Practising the Piano Part 1 is a foundation course on practice methodology or what could be called techniques of learning. It shows you how to organise your practice sessions for maximum effect, enabling you to learn new pieces quickly and efficiently. It also provides a number of specific practise tools which will improve your confidence and the overall quality of your playing.

PART 2 - MASTERING PIANO TECHNIQUE

Practising the Piano Part 2 provides a comprehensive treatise on the subject of piano technique from an overview of different schools and traditions through to an extensive listing of technical exercises. Video demonstrations and precise written instructions with exercises accompanied by manuscript show exactly how to overcome technical difficulties with skill and panache while avoiding common pitfalls that lead to tension and injury.

PART 3 - SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS

Practising the Piano Part 3 is a comprehensive guide to scales and arpeggios. It features numerous video demonstrations, exercises, practice suggestions, resources and interactive tools to make this essential part of a practice regime effective, interesting and fun.

PART 4 - PRACTISING FOR PERFORMANCE

Practising the Piano Part 4 focusses on the art of performance, including how best to prepare yourself both mentally and in the practise room. Drawing upon powerful practise strategies, proven psychological and therapeutic techniques used by elite sportsmen and women, it shows how to combat anxiety and to deliver performances that reflect your full potential.

Supported formats and devices

This publication is suitable for viewing on the following devices and platforms:

25 Easy and Progressive Etudes - Video Series

Read Ahead - eBook Bundle (Levels 1 - 3)

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability. This unique curriculum is based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes that help students develop the mental and tactile skills necessary for fluent sight-reading. There are two forms of Read Ahead: Read Ahead for iPad, and Read Ahead Hybrid which combines these books with a free phone app. The books can be used by themselves, but students will have a superior experience using the books with the app which contains memory training, metronome presets, progress tracking and more.

This bundle includes the following publications:

Level 1 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice starting in 5 finger position and is designed for students 10 years or older who have around a year of piano playing experience (Associated Board grade 1).

Level 2 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice continuing where Level 1 leaves off and is suitable for students 10 years or older who have around 2 years of piano playing experience (Associated Board grades 1-2).

Level 3 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice continuing where Level 2 leaves off and is suitable for students 10 years or older who have around 3-4 years of piano playing experience (Associated Board grades 4-5).

Create First! Part 1 (Studio license)

Create First! uses Forrest Kinney's Pattern Play approach to provide a natural and enjoyable way to learn to improvise music at the piano. The series has an underlying structure that progressively develops musicality and a hands-on knowledge of scales, intervals, and chords. A student is introduced to these basic materials of music by first creating music with them. Rather than learn to create, one creates to learn!

This product contains a selection of 12 solo and duet works from Create First! Book 1 featuring printable scores and links to online video demonstrations:

Black Keys: Exploring Sounds, Rhythms and Elements of Musicality

Sunrise - A piece for beginners. It invites students to explore, move freely, and listen to tones. It doesn’t require a sense of rhythm.

For the Joy - The first piece in the book to explore playing with a beat.

Don’t Give Up! - An A natural is added to the black keys to create a blues scale. This is played with a strong rock-like beat to develop the ability to play on and then “off” the beat (syncopation).

Bottom Line Blues - This piece uses the same blues scale to introduce swing rhythm. This consists of playing the first eighth note in a beat longer than the second.

White Keys: Exploring Scales and Modes

New Day, New Way - The student plays with the first five notes of a C major scale. The harmonies in the accompaniment (which include B-flats and A-flats) are interesting and inviting.

Scales Dream of Melodies - This provides a musical way to introduce the C Major scale. Students can learn to play it by creating melodies rather than just playing mechanically.

Glimmer of Hope - This simple piece introduces the A natural minor scale.

Music of the Moment - This piece features both A natural minor and A harmonic minor scales so the student can really hear and feel the difference between them.

Kyoto - This piece explores the haunting sounds of an ancient Japanese scale. In modern musical terms, this scales uses selected notes of the Phrygian mode played on white keys.

Scotland - This introduces the Mixolydian mode on white keys. Later, this is contrasted with the sound of the Dorian mode on white keys.

Whole Lot of Weirdness - This piece introduces and explores the sounds of the wholetone scale. The sounds are always intriguing!

Cool - This introduces the A blues scale (all white keys with one black) and features a familiar and appealing walking bass accompaniment.

Studio license

This license option permits use of purchased digital materials with any number of your own students as an individual teacher; this license may not be shared with any other teachers in the same studio or different studios.

From the Ground Up - Complete Series Bundle

From the Ground Up is a series devoted to learning individual pieces using outlines and reduced scores that help you to practise more effectively, memorize more consciously, and interpret music more creatively. Each From the Ground Up edition starts with a reduced score or foundation to which detail is then added in layers with successive scores.

This discount bundle includes PDF editions for the following works along with further updates:

Practising the Piano - Study Editions Bundle

Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus

This series features over thirty video walkthroughs and three further Q&A articles for selected works from the Trinity College London 2018 – 2020 piano examination syllabus. Especially useful for piano teachers, it gives tips for practice, teaching suggestions and guidance on matters relating to style and interpretation from the elementary to advanced levels (Initial through to Grade 8).

Even if you’re not working towards (or preparing students for) an examination, you are sure to find useful resources for a wide range of both popular and interesting repertoire selections!

Piano Technique Lecture Series

Practising the Piano - Multimedia eBook Series (Part 1)

Practice Strategies and Approaches

Practising the Piano Part 1 is a foundation course on practice methodology or what could be called techniques of learning. It shows you how to organise your practice sessions for maximum effect, enabling you to learn new pieces quickly and efficiently. It also provides a number of specific practise tools which will improve your confidence and the overall quality of your playing.

Content

Topics covered include:

Structuring the practice session to get maximum results

Eliminating and avoiding wrong notes and mistakes in your playing

Developing pinpoint accuracy and precision in runs and fast passages

Memorising pieces reliably using a number of memory techniques

Learning new pieces as quickly and efficiently as possible

Features

Hundreds of bars of score excerpts featuring popular repertoire and practical illustrations of exercises and tools

30+ videos and audio clips illustrating various techniques and concepts

Downloadable files and printable charts

Numerous glossary links and external links to supplementary resources

Supported formats and devices

This publication is suitable for viewing on the following devices and platforms:

Practising the Piano - Multimedia eBook Series (Part 2)

Mastering Piano Technique

Technique is essential for realising our musical intentions at the piano. Every dynamic nuance must be produced by a technical means, in other words, a physical means. Practising the Piano Part 1 dealt with practice methodology and getting the most out of your practice time. Part 2 focusses on the complex area of piano technique and provides a comprehensive treatise on the subject, showing you exactly how to overcome technical difficulties whilst avoiding tension and injury.

Content

This publication is divided into three main sections:

Section I

The first section starts by looking at the history of piano technique from its early beginnings to the rise of the super virtuoso. Many of the traditional studies and exercises pianists have been practising for generations originally came about as a result of a fallacy in the 19th century. Pianists battling with the increasing technical demands of music written for the instrument believed that all you had to do was make the fingers stronger rather than exploring new ways of playing.

It then goes on to look at posture and healthy ways of moving at the piano, providing suggestions and resources to help you remain physically free, eliminate tension, and prevent and overcome injury.

Section II

The next section deals with the various components of piano technique one by one. It examines the role of the hand and the fingers, the importance of finger independence, the wrist, arm and forearm. It will then show how to coordinate all of this to make your playing easier, more efficient and skilful.

Section III

The last section is a manual of technical exercises based on the material from the previous section, covering exercise regimens, warm-ups, finger exercises, chord playing, octaves, double notes and repeated notes and trills. With plenty of video demonstrations and precise instructions with exercises written out in manuscript you will know exactly which exercises to practise and how they should be done for maximum effect.

Features

Over 100 video demonstrations

Almost 1000 bars of musical excerpts including technical exercises and examples from the repertoire

Numerous diagrams and illustrations

Supported formats and devices

This publication is suitable for viewing on the following devices and platforms:

The Practice Tools Lecture Series

Practical Psychology for Teaching and Learning

Anyone Can Improvise!

Practising the Piano - Multimedia eBook Series (Part 3)

Scales and Arpeggios

Scales and arpeggios are an integral part of piano exams, and many celebrated master pianists throughout history insist on a daily diet of scales for themselves and their students. However, many pianists struggle to keep motivated with their scales practice and as a result often neglect it. Practising the Piano Part 3 is a comprehensive guide to practising scales and arpeggios from the beginner to advanced levels which will enable you to:

Make scales practice fun and interesting with creative ways of practice scales (e.g. have you ever tried the "Russian" way?)

Features

Numerous video demonstrations, exercises written out in manuscript and practice suggestions in addition to a number of resources and interactive tools:

Scales index - This section provides an index of all major, harmonic and melodic minor scales with key signatures, fingerings and variations for practice. There is also a keyboard diagram of each scale so the beginner will be able to see the note patterns at a glance.

Scales and arpeggios charts – Download printable practice charts for ABRSM Grades 1 through to 8 featuring a grid layout with the keys listed vertically and the types of scales horizontally. Teachers can use these to assign scales for practising in between lessons, and for students to keep a record of what they have practised.

Scales and arpeggios generator – Don’t you wish there was a way to test yourself on the scales and arpeggios for your grade? Part 3 includes a scale generator that randomly selects these from the ABRSM syllabus for you. It will keep you on your toes by requesting additional ways of doing them (different touches and speeds, and so on) and gives you an optional self-scoring mechanism for charting your progress.

Supported formats and devices

This publication is suitable for viewing on the following devices and platforms:

Teaching Beginners

Practising the Piano - Multimedia eBook Series (Part 4)

Practising for Performance

Do you avoid performing because you find it too stressful? It may surprise you to know that many of the world’s greatest pianists have often suffered from acute anxiety and nerves but have found ways to overcome them. Practising the Piano Part provides a combination of rock-solid practising techniques, proven methods for memorising and psychological strategies used by elite sportsmen and women to enable you to realise your full potential on the day.

Content

This publication is divided into three main sections:

Section I

The first section focusses on developing performance skills and on how to be as well prepared as possible so that you are able to deliver when you walk onto the stage or into your examination room. In this volume I explain five different ways to practise and how to set goals and deadlines in the run-up to a performance alongside providing further resources for generating more performance opportunities.

Section II

The next section covers the complex subject of performance psychology and performance anxiety. Even some of the world’s greatest pianists have suffered from acute anxiety. Alongside results from my survey, Performance Anxiety among Pianists, I explore how visualisation, CBT, meditation and forms of mental skills training can assist in calming the critical inner voice and enabling us to unleash our true creative selves.

Section III

The last section is all about memorisation. There is nothing more terrifying than a memory slip on the stage and I firmly believe that the memorisation process should start as soon as we start learning the notes. In this volume I investigate the different types of memory (muscular, aural, analytic, etc.) and offer 11 different tools for developing and strengthening the memory.

Remember – if you are enjoying your performance, so will your audience. It really is that simple! Practising the Piano Part 4 will show you how to surrender control so that you can enjoy delivering a confident performance that you can be proud of!

Supported formats and devices

This publication is suitable for viewing on the following devices and platforms:

Making Progress with Beginners

Music from the Inside Out

A musician’s guide to freeing performance

Have you ever been devastated by performance anxiety? Have you struggled with physical problems like tendonitis or nodules? Do you know what it feels like to battle with issues of confidence and self belief?

Charlotte’s book Music from the Inside Out tackles the thorny issues that can profoundly affect you as a musician, and which you may not want to face. You are encouraged to look at what lies beneath the surface and you are guided to unlock what’s holding you back.

Learn how to transform your own Inner Critic;

Get to grips with your performance nerves;

Discover how to play with complete physical freedom;

Perform to the peak of your expressive power.

Music from the Inside Out gives you tools that can transform your whole approach to performing music.

“This book is an essential read for all musicians – I would highly recommend it!” – Maxim Vengerov

“I found your book totally BRILLIANT! It is fascinatingly insightful and resonated with me so powerfully. You have got it so right! I wish your book had been around when I was at the Guildhall – I would have found it a huge help. I hope it will become required reading for all music students everywhere in future. That kind of self-knowledge is invaluable…” – Ann McKay, soprano

Read Ahead - Level 1 Complete eBook

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability. This unique curriculum is based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes that help students develop the mental and tactile skills necessary for fluent sight-reading. There are two forms of Read Ahead: Read Ahead for iPad, and Read Ahead Hybrid which combines this book with a free phone app. The book can be used by itself, but students will have a superior experience using the book with the app which contains memory training, metronome presets, progress tracking and more. Level 1 of 6 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice starting in 5 finger position and is designed for students 10 years or older who have around a year of piano playing experience (Associated Board grade 1).

Read Ahead - Level 3 Complete eBook

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability. This unique curriculum is based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes that help students develop the mental and tactile skills necessary for fluent sight-reading. There are two forms of Read Ahead: Read Ahead for iPad, and Read Ahead Hybrid which combines this book with a free phone app. The book can be used by itself, but students will have a superior experience using the book with the app which contains memory training, metronome presets, progress tracking and more. Level 3 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice continuing where Level 2 leaves off and is suitable for students 10 years or older who have around 3-4 years of piano playing experience (Associated Board grades 4-5).

Read Ahead - Level 2 Complete eBook

Read Ahead is an exciting new program that helps piano students to improve their sight-reading ability. This unique curriculum is based on an extensive collection of carefully ordered compositions with related exercises and quizzes that help students develop the mental and tactile skills necessary for fluent sight-reading. There are two forms of Read Ahead: Read Ahead for iPad, and Read Ahead Hybrid which combines this book with a free phone app. The book can be used by itself, but students will have a superior experience using the book with the app which contains memory training, metronome presets, progress tracking and more. Level 2 offers 36 Lessons or Days of practice continuing where Level 1 leaves off and is suitable for students 10 years or older who have around 2 years of piano playing experience (Associated Board grades 1-2).

Create First! Part 1

Create First! uses Forrest Kinney's Pattern Play approach to provide a natural and enjoyable way to learn to improvise music at the piano. The series has an underlying structure that progressively develops musicality and a hands-on knowledge of scales, intervals, and chords. A student is introduced to these basic materials of music by first creating music with them. Rather than learn to create, one creates to learn!

This product contains a selection of 12 solo and duet works from Create First! Book 1 featuring printable scores and links to online video demonstrations:

Black Keys: Exploring Sounds, Rhythms and Elements of Musicality

Sunrise - A piece for beginners. It invites students to explore, move freely, and listen to tones. It doesn’t require a sense of rhythm.

For the Joy - The first piece in the book to explore playing with a beat.

Don’t Give Up! - An A natural is added to the black keys to create a blues scale. This is played with a strong rock-like beat to develop the ability to play on and then “off” the beat (syncopation).

Bottom Line Blues - This piece uses the same blues scale to introduce swing rhythm. This consists of playing the first eighth note in a beat longer than the second.

White Keys: Exploring Scales and Modes

New Day, New Way - The student plays with the first five notes of a C major scale. The harmonies in the accompaniment (which include B-flats and A-flats) are interesting and inviting.

Scales Dream of Melodies - This provides a musical way to introduce the C Major scale. Students can learn to play it by creating melodies rather than just playing mechanically.

Glimmer of Hope - This simple piece introduces the A natural minor scale.

Music of the Moment - This piece features both A natural minor and A harmonic minor scales so the student can really hear and feel the difference between them.

Kyoto - This piece explores the haunting sounds of an ancient Japanese scale. In modern musical terms, this scales uses selected notes of the Phrygian mode played on white keys.

Scotland - This introduces the Mixolydian mode on white keys. Later, this is contrasted with the sound of the Dorian mode on white keys.

Whole Lot of Weirdness - This piece introduces and explores the sounds of the wholetone scale. The sounds are always intriguing!

Cool - This introduces the A blues scale (all white keys with one black) and features a familiar and appealing walking bass accompaniment.

Personal use license

This is a license for your personal use only. Please see "Studio license" option if you wish to use this material with your students.

Tuning In: Practical Psychology for Musicians

Tuning In is for all instrumental and singing teachers who teach individually or in groups.

It combines relevant and accessible psychology with a wealth of practical music teaching and performing experience, so that you can deepen your understanding of why pupils do and don’t learn, how they learn, and how best to help them.

It will help you improve your relationship with pupils, motivate them to practise, and prepare them (and you!) for secure and anxiety-free performances. It will also help you develop and maintain a good working relationship with pupils’ parents.

In particular, it spells out the intuitive processes which underlie all good teaching and performing, so that these processes can be used with conscious intent, to greater effect.

The book can be read straight through, used as a resource, or studied as a course.

“A real eye-opener: Every music teacher should read this book!”

“My nightmare pupils improved overnight!”

“Shed new light and transformed my career!”

Lucinda Mackworth-Young (MAPsychEd GTCL) is a renowned pedagogue, a pioneer of psychology for musicians and an experienced concert pianist and teacher.

Well known for her informative and entertaining approach, she lectures internationally, gives workshops, and is the Director of the UK’s leading Piano Teachers’ Course, EPTA UK. She also provides course work for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the Incorporated Society of Musicians, the European Piano Teachers’ Association and In-Service Teacher Training.

She has had research, numerous articles and chapters published in British and American music teaching magazines and journals, and her book Piano by Ear: Learn to play by ear, improvise and accompany songs in simple steps, was published by Faber Music in 2015. Aimed at enabling everyone to play the piano spontaneously -and say “Yes!” when asked to play Happy Birthday, it was finalist in the Best Print Resource category of the Music Teachers Awards for Excellence, 2016. Click here to view Lucinda’s full profile on the Practising the Piano Online Academy.

Formats: Printable PDF and various eBook formats with links to downloadable worksheets for printing.

Study Edition - Ravel Sonatine

The Art of Piano Fingering

A new approach to scales and arpeggios

by Penelope Roskell

Contains unique and enlightening explanations of how to finger in the most natural and musical way, with entirely new fingerings suggested for many scales and arpeggios. Essential reading for all pianists, piano teachers and piano students.

Includes

Complete fingering charts of all scales and arpeggios for reference, practice and examination preparation

Study Edition - Chopin Nocturne in C-sharp minor

Study Edition - JS Bach WTC Bk I No2

Study Edition - Debussy Girl with the Flaxen Hair

From the Ground Up - Chopin Waltz in E Minor (Op. Posth.)

Chopin’s brilliant Waltz in E minor is justly popular with pianists entering the advanced level. This From the Ground Up edition helps students to lay a solid musical and technical foundation for learning the piece efficiently and quickly, with particular attention given to using rhythmic practice to solve technical challenges.

From the Ground Up - Bach Prelude in D Minor (BWV 935)

Bach's Prelude in D minor, BWV 935, is a perfect introduction to the two-part Inventions, and a little gem in its own right. In this From the Ground Up edition, we work on developing an overall dynamic scheme for the piece, and on achieving rhythmic vitality through note grouping.

From the Ground Up - Schumann Album for the Young (No. 30)

The 30th piece in Schumann’s Album for the Young is one of the composer’s most intimate and tender short pieces, full of harmonic and contrapuntal refinement. Although it is technically accessible to intermediate pianists, it is musically rewarding for more advanced players as well. This From the Ground Up edition delves deeply into the expressive subtleties of the score, with exercises designed to help players experience its musical emotions directly, and develop their own interpretations.”

From the Ground Up - Chopin Nocturne in E-Flat (Op. 9 No. 2)

Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat Op. 9 No. 2, has long been a favourite of both pianists and audiences with it's richly-ornamented melody, supported by exquisite harmonies in the left hand. This From the Ground Up edition provides a detailed guide to learning this piece efficiently and with understanding and creativity.